education options

education options2018-02-24T21:33:10-06:00

You have more options than you may think…

Brick & Mortar Public Schools

Compulsory Attendance

Your child’s age is your first indicator of his or her eligibility for beginning school. Students is required to be enrolled if they turn six on or before September 1st.

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Required Documentation

West Virginia school districts set the requirements for what documentation is required prior to enrolling a student in their district. To get that information, contact the district directly.  

Some legal documents are required for West Virginia students to attend school:

  • Certified Birth Certificate/proof of identity
  • Official copy of records/transcripts from the previous school the child most recently attended
  • A shot immunization record (or proof that immunization is not required for the child)
  • Click here to view the immunization requirements 
  • Proof of home address (for example, a rental agreement or tax statement)

School Fees

Paying some fees is a part of public education, though it is primarily a free education. Students are expected to supply their own basic school supplies such as paper, pencils, and notebooks. Each district has a list of approved expenditures for students. Fee waiver forms can be requested from the school if there is a situation that prevents a family from being able to pay for required materials or events.

Some typical items on that list include:

  • Lunch
  • Summer school
  • Student parking passes (high school)
  • Lost textbooks
  • Late or lost library books
  • Field trips
  • Special class-required fees (e.g., science lab fees)

Public Charter Schools

What are Charter Schools?

Charter Schools are tuition-free public schools operated by independent, non-profit governing bodies.

Parents, teachers, and community leaders sign a “charter” or contract with a school district or state agency to create a charter school and give students more educational options than their assigned school. Charter schools have flexibility over classroom hours, curriculum, and employment policies, but are subject to periodic reviews based on student performance. In Alabama, public charter school students are measured against the same academic standards as students in other public schools. Local boards of education monitor the academic and financial performance of charter schools, and, can revoke  or refuse to renew a school’s charter.

West Virginia Charter Schools

West Virginia currently has no Charter Schools.

 

 

Enrollment

Most charter schools do not have attendance zones. If you are interested in applying for your child, you must apply directly to the school. The application and selection process can be quite complicated. Make sure to contact the school early to determine the correct next steps to applying.

Virtual Public Schools

West Virginia has no full time public virtual schools.

To see how to get involved in the virtual school movement in West Virginia visit PublicSchoolOptions.org.

Private Schools

What makes a school “private”?

Private schools charge tuition, and many have a religious mission. Some private schools offer families assistance to make tuition payments. Click below for the complete list of over 100 private schools across the state.

Private School Review offers free, detailed information on U.S. private schools combined with useful community data (e.g., housing costs) and maps of the surrounding areas.

*Information on non-public school admission requirements should be obtained from the school directly.

Scholarships & Educational Choice Programs

West Virginia currently doesn’t have any educational choice programs.

For more information on policy change or to get involved in the school choice movement in West Virginia visit EdChoice.

Private Virtual Schools

George Washington University Online High School is an online college preparatory academy for motivated students who are willing to be challenged to become the best students and persons they can be. Combining award-winning curriculum with small class sizes and intensive college counseling, students receive a flexible, individualized education attuned to their own needs and goals.

International Academy is a K12, Inc accredited, online private school for grades K–12. Students earn a U.S. high school diploma while using award-winning K¹² curriculum

They offer extensive, individualized academic and counseling support keep students on track. The flexibility allows students to explore their passions. Full-time and part-time options are available.

International Connections Academy is a fully-accredited, online, college preparatory private school serving K–12 students worldwide. The program combines a top-rated curriculum with talented teachers, cutting-edge technology, the flexibility to learn at home, and direct family involvement to ensure each student realizes his or her full potential.

The Keystone School offers flexible education programs for high school and middle school students. Whether your student wants to study full-time or just needs individual classes, they offer more than 170 courses from credit recovery to world languages and AP. Students can enroll at any time.

Home Education

Your options

In West Virginia, parents have two options when it comes to educating their children at home. Below are descriptions and necessary requirements for each option:

 

By seeking school board approval:

If you choose to seek approval from your local school board, you will be required to teach the subjects approved by the school board for 180 days per year. Instruction must be in a place approved by the board and for a time equal to the school term of the county. If requested, you must furnish attendance, instruction, and progress information. The school board may deny approval in writing for “good and reasonable justification.” The board also determines the method of assessment you must use in your homeschool.

 

 

By submitting a notice of intent:

Parents may also choose to homeschool by submitting a notice that meets certain requirements to the school board or superintendent. HSLDA recommends this approach because it does not require obtaining permission to homeschool; as long as the notification complies with the law, the child is excused from compulsory attendance.

  • Ensure that the person providing the home instruction has the required qualification.
  • File a notice of intent with your school board or superintendent.
    • must include your child’s name, address, and age.
    • must assure that the student will be instructed in reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies and assessed annually.
  • Assess your student annually.
    • standardized achievement test
    • participate in the public school testing program
    • may obtain a written narrative that indicates a certified teacher has reviewed a portfolio of your child’s work
    • any alternative academic assessment of proficiency agreed upon by superintendent
  • Submit certain assessments.
    • You must submit the results of the assessment for your child for 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 11th grades to the county superintendent by June 30 of those years.
Home School Legal Defense Alliance

visit HSLDA website >

Coalition for Responsible Home Education

visit the coalition’s website >

Support Groups

West Virginia has many homeschool associations that offer classes, curriculum, advising, sports, clubs, socials and recreation. Check out your local support groups here.

Dual Enrollment

College Credit

West Virginia has three dual enrollment and dual credit programs. They are listed along with a description below:

Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment courses both mean a credit-bearing college course offered at a high school by an institution of higher education.

The West Virginia EDGE (Earn a Degree, Graduate Early) allows students to take approved career/technical courses offered by high schools or Career and Technical Centers that have common course competencies as courses offered by the community and technical colleges for college credit. Students earn credit by passing a qualifying exam.

Early Enrollment (a.k.a. Early Entrance) allows public two- and four-year institutions to offer college courses delivered primarily to high school students.

In addition, the state provides for early admission, defined as high school students enrolled in a college-level course. Policies pertaining to early admission are not included here.

Course Fees

All programs: Student/parent, district or 3rd party

Dual Credit: In practice, varies from county to county – some counties pay the tuition in other counties the student pays the tuition, however the tuition is at a reduced cost.

West Virginia EDGE: Postsecondary institution

Early Enrollment: Student/parent. However, to increase access, an institution may use a special tuition structure for high school students, which must be set at at least $25.00 per credit hour. All high school students must be charged the special tuition or the regular tuition/fees approved for the institution granting the credit. The credit-granting institution may use tuition/fee waivers or third party sponsors to support the student’s cost of the course.

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